Spinoza

"All that happens through the laws of nature is eternal and infinite from the perspective of reason."

"The more we depend on external things, the more we are vulnerable to despair."

"Imagination binds us to time; reason and intuition free us into eternity."

"Those who live according to the guidance of reason love those who wish to live thus equally."

"Envy is nothing but sadness at another's good fortune."

"The perfection of all things is measured by their reality and power of acting."

"Nothing in the universe is contingent; all things follow necessarily from divine nature."

"An empty mind is more likely to be filled with destructive thoughts and fears."

"The greater the joy, the greater the perfection of the one who experiences it."

"To understand something truly is to understand it as part of the infinite whole."

"Violence and coercion are signs of weakness, not strength, in governance or personal conduct."

"The mind's power increases precisely to the extent that the body's power increases."

"We are determined by external causes in proportion to our inadequate ideas."

"Gratitude is a form of love born from understanding another's benefit to us."

"The past cannot be changed, but our understanding of it can liberate us from its effects."

"Patience is not passive waiting, but active understanding of necessity."

"Fear is the beginning of slavery; understanding is the beginning of freedom."

"Beauty consists in the harmony of parts in relation to the whole."

"The preservation of one's being is the foundation of all ethics."

"History is the narrative of human striving toward greater perfection and understanding."

"Creativity arises when the mind conceives of itself as active rather than passive."

"The just person is one who acts from the understanding of universal necessity."

"Adventures are merely opportunities to test and strengthen our understanding of reality."

"The body and mind are one thing expressed in two different ways."

"Imagination leads to superstition; reason leads to piety."

"Our capacity to be moved emotionally increases with our capacity for understanding."

"Work becomes noble when pursued as a means of understanding and improving one's nature."

"Dreams are the mind's attempt to process incomplete understanding."

"Humor arises from the perception of contradiction from a superior perspective."

"The highest compliment is to say: this person thinks for themselves."